The stock market today starts Friday with a positive lean, despite all the sloshing about this week. The Nasdaq and S&P 500 are each up 1.7% from last Friday's close after a test of support at their 50-day moving averages. Institutional investors have been sending, at best, mixed signals. But all-in-all, for a week in which Russia commandeered a neighboring region and the maiden press conference of the new Federal Reserve chief put a Yellenesque dent in the market's proceedings, not bad.

Leading stocks notched a positive week through Thursday, with 13 of the IBD 50 list punching decisively to new highs. An equal number continued work on possible bases, a good sign, and almost as many were testing or finding support at their 50-day moving averages.

Nike (NKE) fell 4% after reporting late Thursday its Q4 earnings and revenue topped street expectations, but new orders fell 1% in China, and management said the strengthening dollar would hurt profits in the current quarter. The stock has been in a mild consolidation since December.

Ethanol refiner and marketer Green Plains Energy (GPRE) rammed ahead 6% before the open, easing off an early 9% gain. The Omaha-based operation is rounding off its 11th straight weekly gain.

Overseas, Russia's stock market was taking a hard hit after a new round of economic sanctions designed by the U.S. and European Union went into effect. Several Russian banks targeted by the sanctions reported Visa (V) and MasterCard (MA) had both stopped processing payments for cardholders at the banks, according to Russian news service RIA Novosti.

European stocks were modestly higher at midday, and tacking toward a mixed finish for the week. Frankfurt's DAX was trading 3% above last Friday's close and the Cac-40 in Paris was up 2.6%, while London's FTSE 100 traded effectively flat for the week.

Stock futures were off early highs, but clearly positive Friday morning after a whorl of wild market action across Russia and Asia.

The stock market today starts Friday with a positive lean, despite all the sloshing about this week. The Nasdaq and S&P 500 are each up 1.7% from last Friday's close after a test of support at their 50-day moving averages. Institutional investors have been sending, at best, mixed signals. But all-in-all, for a week in which Russia commandeered a neighboring region and the maiden press conference of the new Federal Reserve chief put a Yellenesque dent in the market's proceedings, not bad.

Leading stocks notched a positive week through Thursday, with 13 of the IBD 50 list punching decisively to new highs. An equal number continued work on possible bases, a good sign, and almost as many were testing or finding support at their 50-day moving averages.

Nike (NKE) fell 4% after reporting late Thursday its Q4 earnings and revenue topped street expectations, but new orders fell 1% in China, and management said the strengthening dollar would hurt profits in the current quarter. The stock has been in a mild consolidation since December.

Ethanol refiner and marketer Green Plains Energy (GPRE) rammed ahead 6% before the open, easing off an early 9% gain. The Omaha-based operation is rounding off its 11th straight weekly gain.

Overseas, Russia's stock market was taking a hard hit after a new round of economic sanctions designed by the U.S. and European Union went into effect. Several Russian banks targeted by the sanctions reported Visa (V) and MasterCard (MA) had both stopped processing payments for cardholders at the banks, according to Russian news service RIA Novosti.

European stocks were modestly higher at midday, and tacking toward a mixed finish for the week. Frankfurt's DAX was trading 3% above last Friday's close and the Cac-40 in Paris was up 2.6%, while London's FTSE 100 traded effectively flat for the week.

Dick's Sporting Goods (NYSE:DKS) scored points with investors after the retailer posted fourth-quarter profits and sales that crushed views on Tuesday morning, sending Dick's stock nearly 4% higher in early trading in the stock market today. By early afternoon, shares were trading up just about ...

Stocks dipped in early action Tuesday, as investors took in a raft of mixed earnings reports and weak February auto sales.The Nasdaq and the S&P 500 slipped 0.5% each. The Dow Jones industrial average nosed down 0.4%. Volume-wise, the stock market today got off to a weak start, with volume down ...

A more than $40 billion merger plan announced over the weekend begins to build what one analyst calls an "automotive powerhouse." IBD Leaderboard company NXP Semiconductors (NASDAQ:NXPI), a connected-car chipmaker and also a supplier of some chip technology in Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhones, said it ...

03/02/2015 09:49 PM ET

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